


Cardboard & Kisses

by Wolves_of_Innistrad



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Banter, Boys Kissing, Getting Together, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Living Together, M/M, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Trick or Treat: Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27318358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolves_of_Innistrad/pseuds/Wolves_of_Innistrad
Summary: While out at the store arguing about how to make Chris' Halloween costume, a little old lady mistakes Buck and Eddie for a couple bickering over their son and extolls the virtues of costume making that her own grandson won't follow with his husband and their daughter.  The simple mistake leads to some interesting conversations about how often this happens between Buck and Eddie and later to something they've both been waiting for.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 26
Kudos: 338
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales, Buddie Trick or Treat





	Cardboard & Kisses

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CasTheButler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasTheButler/gifts).



> Happy Halloween Apollo! I hope you like this! I tried to get in some of your treats and make sure it wasn't any of your Tricks. <3

“It’s not going to fit Chris. It’s too big!” Buck exclaimed, his voice not raised, but exasperation evident in his tone. He was waving the plastic chest piece from the dollar store around as if it were a piece of paper.

Eddie gave him a look before snatching the toy armor away and staring at it. “It’ll fit, he’s just had a growth spurt over summer, this will be fine.”

Buck rolls his eyes and huffs. “Eddie, he grew like two inches, he didn’t gain 30 pounds.”

“Are we really going to argue about this? I know what size my kid needs in a costume.”

“Okay, then why did you beg me to make the costume.”

“Because I was making the sword which is way harder!” Eddie is now gesticulating with the toy armor, cardboard nearly swatting Buck’s hand as the other man is emphatically gesturing with them.

“Then why are you micromanaging me with the armor?”

Eddie holds the armor up to his own chest, pointing at the edges. “Because this will fit him and you aren’t seeing that.”

“Eddie, I see Chris every day, I think I know what is going to fit his tiny body.”

“He’s not tiny.”

“He’s not even a teenager yet, it’s not going to fit him Ohmigod!”

A noise startles them, both men turning to see an elderly woman coughing politely near the end of the toy aisle. She walks a few feet closer before putting out a hand. Eddie obediently gives it to her, even though he and Buck are both glancing at one another in confusion.

“Hmm, how old is your son?” She asks, and after Eddie tells her she says “I think this will be too big.” Buck’s smile is blinding and smug as he nudges Eddie with an elbow. Eddie’s own sour expression is only lifted when the woman continues “But it might be good to use as a base, to get the right shape, just smaller. Have you tried using cardboard?”

“That’s actually what I had planned on using once I saw these were all too big for him,” Buck replies, one hand sweeping out towards the rest of the aisle.

“Good, good. Take some measurements if need be. Costumes can be tricky when they aren’t made of fabric. Can’t bee too big or it’ll fall right off, can’t be too small or it’ll break or bend when they walk around.” She smiles serenely at them before handing the armor back to Eddie.

“Get it, I’ll use it as a base like she said. I can make the rest out of cardboard.”

Eddie gives Buck a warm smile, “you sure? I imagine you can just do the entire thing out of cardboard, you probably don’t need this if it really is too large.”

“Yeah yeah, just get it, might be easier.”

The woman looks between the two of them and smiles even sweeter. “Your son is very lucky to have two fathers so diligent about making his Halloween costume. My grandson and his husband always buy their daughter’s costumes from the store, but I’ve always felt there’s something so much more warm and familial and special about a home made Halloween costume.”

“I, uh, We...” Eddie fumbles, looking from Buck to the little old lady with panic in his eyes.

But Buck, Buck just gives her a pleasant smile, as if she hadn’t said anything weird at all and goes “Yeah, my sister and I used to make our own costumes. That’s how I learned, I thought we could show Chris what we’re doing so he can maybe help his own kids one day.” The answer is so assured and easy that Eddie is still staring as the woman comes and pats Buck on the arm.

“That’s lovely. You know what, I’m going to call my grandson and tell him he needs to make Amy a costume this year. My arthritis is pretty bad now, but if it’s just over the phone I can still help a bit. Besides, someone has to carry on my legacy, and none of the other grand kids have babies yet. See you later, have a happy Halloween!” With that the woman shuffles off, leaving Buck and Eddie alone in the aisle.

“Aright so we need some more Duct tape and maybe some paint from the store and then we can head home right?” Buck looks at Eddie who seems to just be staring at the spot the woman just vacated. He waves a hand in Eddie’s face “hello, Earth to Eddie...”

Eddie snaps out of it, and he turns and stares at Buck for a long time, as if he’s seeing him for the first time. “She thought you were Chris’ dad too.”

Buck gets a soft smile on his face and seems to blush. “Uh yeah, happens.”

Eddie’s eyes narrow. “What do you mean it happens? This isn’t the first time?”

A chuckle bubbles up from Buck and he shakes his head. “Nah, I mean what do you think, two guys, always with the same kid, live together… This is California, it’s not that weird for people to get the wrong idea. It’s a lot easier to just go along with it for a minute, especially if it makes their day like that lady, or the Christmas Elf at the mall. Or the guy at the park when we took Chris skateboarding who said he ‘didn’t think he’d ever seen a cuter family and gave him hope he’d be able to have that with a man someday.’ The only one I ever corrected was Chris’ teacher at school because she called me Mr. Diaz and I said no that’s Chris’ dad. And when I said I was Buck, she asked why I was called Buck, or “my Buck” by Chris and not dad, so I said that well, that’s my name and I’m not his dad. She was a bit surprised for some reason but...” Buck stops, noticing Eddie is staring at him with the weirdest expression. “Eddie?”

“This… This happens that often? That people think you’re Chris’ dad? That we, that we’re together, and both his dads?” Eddie’s voice is strained, he looks a bit off kilter, standing there in the middle of the toy aisle at a dollar store seemingly having an epiphany.

Buck shrugs. “I mean not all the time, but enough that I just kind of roll with it now like I said. Does it bother you? I can make it clear I’m not, I don’t want you to feel weird or like I’m somehow encroaching. Just seems kinda sad to break someone’s heart when they are having their own little happy moment because of something. A little white lie never hurt anyone.”

“I...” Eddie pauses, still a bit flummoxed by what’s going on. “Huh.”

“Eddie, you’re worrying me.”

“Sorry,” Eddie shakes his head as if clearing out the thoughts and smiles at Buck. “I, I don’t mind. it’s fine.”

“You sure, cuz you seemed a little weirded out by it?”

“I’m not weirded out it’s just...” Eddie stops again, looking around and laughing to himself. “When Shannon asked for a divorce I thought that all these ideas I had about Chris finally having a happy family together for holidays and things were gone. I mean I know he’s happy with me, and a kid doesn’t need to have his mom and dad there everyday to be happy or have a happy family, but growing up the way I did, the place I did, it was sort of expected. And Shannon is trying to have more interaction, we are friendly and she sees Chris sometimes even though she’s not ready for any full time mom stuff, but still I thought it’s not the same.”

Eddie sighs, looking at Buck in the eye. “But then you ended up moving in a few months ago when your place flooded, and things just became so simple. I think maybe… I think maybe I’ve just been relying on you like a second parent for Chris all this time and I didn’t realize it until someone said it.”

“Eddie, I don’t mind. And I don’t think of myself like that, I mean yeah Chris is an amazing kid and I’d be the luckiest guy alive to have a kid like that, but I know I’m just a friend and this is just temporary til I find another place a-”

“I don’t want it to be temporary.” The words are out of Eddie’s mouth fast, his fingers drop the toy armor like they might have been about to try to reach up and grab the words out of the air, but his hand stays at his side, flexing his fingers.

“Oh… You, you want me to stay?” Buck asks, and his voice is quieter now, tentative, like maybe he thinks he’s misunderstood.

“I do. I want you to stay Buck.”

Buck’s smile is dazzling once again, his cheeks a light pink, a stark contrast to the red of his birthmark. “I’d like that.”

“Good, then stay.”

They both stand there a bit awkwardly for a moment in the middle of the aisle before Buck looks up at Eddie once more. “Uh, about the other thing...”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable if I-” Buck hesitates as Eddie speaks over him.

“I don’t feel uncomfortable. I feel… A lot of things right now, but uncomfortable strangely isn’t one of them.”

“ _Oh_.”

“Yeah.” It’s Eddie’s turn to flush, his beard not hiding all of it as it rises high on his cheeks. This is all new and weird, a space neither of them has broached before, and yet they seem to have tumbled into it so easily. So easy in fact neither of them even noticed at first.

They head home and set to work on Chris’ costume, thoughts of the conversation set aside. Nothing changes between them in the coming days, not really. Buck still cooks breakfast in the morning, Eddie still grabs groceries on his way home, they still watch a movie at night and hang out after Chris goes to bed. It’s quiet and comfortable in a way that neither man has ever really experienced. It’s clear that something is going on more than just friendship, but there’s something so intimate about their friendship already that it doesn’t seem like something different just more.

On Halloween Chris dresses up and they drive him around to show off his costume to the other members of the 118 and a few of his friends. It has to be from afar, no real trick or treating like normal, but Chris still has fun, especially once they get home and Buck breaks out the giant bowl of candy and they spend their time making a blanket fort in the living room and watching spooky movies. Chris isn’t quite old enough for real horror, but they’ve got some classics like the Nightmare before Christmas and Halloweentown to watch.

Chris falls asleep in his outfit, which confirms how comfortable it was as well as Buck’s skill with cardboard artistry. Buck end sup putting him to sleep and Eddie cleans up some of the candy wrappers strewn about the room, but he doesn’t take the fort down.

When Buck returns he crawls back under the fort and sees Eddie smiling.

“What are you smiling about Eddie? Are you just excited because tomorrow we get to watch Coco again?”

“We’re watching Book of Life and Coco,” Eddie says pointedly, “but that isn’t it.”

“Okay...” Buck gives Eddie a soft smile, his face lit from underneath by the little fake pumpkin lantern they had in the fort.

“Buck… Can I, I mean, would it be alright if I tried something and if it’s weird, or we don’t like it or just… We can just forget it happened afterwards if it’s not-”

“Yes.” Buck says, smiling at Eddie, not even letting him finish.

“You sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Eddie smiles back, steeling his nerves before moving in, one hand resting on Buck’s neck, thumb against his cheek. Slowly he moves in and brushes their lips together. Buck leans into it, deepening the kiss and they go on for a few moments.

When they part they’re both just staring at each other with dopey grins.

“You taste like Reese’s,” Buck says with a smirk.

“You taste like Sour Patch Kids,” Eddie says, laughing quietly.

“I want to know what you taste like without candy in the mix.”

“I’d be good with that.”

“Yeah?” Buck asks, his smile growing wider.

“Yeah,” Eddie answers, his own smile brilliant.

“Just to be clear, that doesn’t mean I don’t wanna lick the taste of Reese’s out of your mouth right now,” Buck states, and his eyes are hooded and he licks his lips.

“Then do it Sour Patch,” Eddie challenges, eyes alight with fire.

Buck tackles him, kissing him breathless as they tangle beneath the fort.

When Chris wakes up the next day the fort is in disarray around a sleeping Buck and Eddie. Buck’s head is on Eddie’s chest, their costumes still on, but the crown Eddie wore is resting on the floor beside them along with a small pile of candy wrappers.

“Finally,” Chris says, crawling in between the two of them and laying back down to sleep a couple more hours. But not before sneaking another handful of candy.

**Author's Note:**

> Long time no post, but hope everyone enjoys this one! And if you're thinking "This seems vaguely familiar" i DID get the idea for what they were arguing over from Matt and Blue's youtube video about making their son a Halloween costume. A special thanks to XJ and Mike for reading through this and helping me with ideas for what to do in the first place!
> 
> As always a big thanks to all my Wonderful Readers for all the comments, kudos and subs! Happy Halloween!


End file.
